1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to footwear, specifically to a shoe insert and a combination of a shoe and shoe insert, and more particularly to a shoe insert such as an orthotic insert which is removably securable within the shoe.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous devices have been developed, including shoe inserts, to address the problem of poorly fitting shoes. While such devices may perform satisfactorily to some extent, devices which comprise or include inserts often fail to resolve the problem satisfactorily due to the slippage of the insert within the shoe. Such slippage of an insert within a shoe can further exacerbate a poor fitting of the shoe and result in lowered stability of the foot within the shoe, and can result in undesirable motion and harmful frictional forces acting upon the foot.
Accordingly, other devices have been developed to combat the problem of shoe insert slippage, as referenced in the prior art cited herein. Mancinelli (U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,628), for example, discloses a shoe insert which includes double faced adhesive strips to secure the insert into position within the shoe to prevent relative movement between the insert and shoe when the shoe is worm. Siesel (U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,292) discloses shoe insert art, the most relevant feature of which is simply assumed as “adhesive means” for securing an insert to the interior of the shoe, though no specific means of securing or adhering is disclosed. Collins (U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,916) discloses a “Heel Spawn” appliance which includes a non-permanent adhesive provided on a shoe-confronting surface of the lower portion of the back cover for causing the appliance to be adhered within the shoe, but it specifically contemplates only “known adhesives”. Rowe (U.S. Pat. No. 1,020,160) discloses a “shoe pad” for reducing heel discomfort which is an insert for the heel area of a shoe, and which includes a “flexible facing strip” for securing the heel pad in place. Saito (U.S. Pat. No. 1,946,591) discloses a “Liner Plate for Shoes” which plate is designed to reduce friction and stocking wear, but Saito's rail is not designed to prevent interior slippage of the foot or sole insert, and the plate's tongue in Saito is simply positioned beneath a shoe's insole. Protz (U.S. Pat. No. 2,155,905) discloses a shoe insert which is detachable and adjustable and includes one or more “filler strips” made of felt or similar material which function to fill the space between a heel and the body of the heel insert, and which may be adhesively affixed to each other so as to provide adjustability via removal of one or more strips. In Protz's invention, however, it is only the surficial characteristics of the felt (or similar material) which serve to guard against interior slippage. In other prior art, various fastening methods are taught to increase fit and/or reduce foot or insert slippage, including the use of chemical adhesives and lacing.
Prior art solutions, however, fail to satisfactorily address the needs of the consumer. Inserts that are attached by adhesives cannot easily be removed, for example, to clean the shoe or to install a custom orthotic. Or, the adhesive properties or structures eventually wear out, or fail to secure the insert during prolonged usage, causing slippage of the insert and discomfort to the user. What is needed is a removable shoe insert that may be more reliably secured within the shoe.